Tobacco-binder-leaf cutter.



I. N.,& P. M. EABY. TOBACCO BINDER LEAF CUTTER.

APPLICATION FILED IAN-6. I916. Patented Nov. 14, "11916.

3 SHEETS-SHEET l.

Patented NOVQ 14, 1916.

a SHEETS-SHEET 2 I. N. & P. M. EABY.

TOBACCO BINDER LEAF CUTTER.

. APPLICATION man mus. ms. 1,204,961.

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I. N. & P. M. EABY.

TOBACCO BINDER LEAF CUTTER.

APPLICATION man IAN-6. me.

Patented Nov. 14, 1916.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

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ISAAC N. EABY AND PAUL 1VI. EABY, OF LANCASTER, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNORS OF ONE-HALF TO LESTRE R. MOSS, 0F LANCASTER, PENNEiYLVANIA.

TOBACCO-BINDER-LEAF CUTTER;

Application filed January 6, 1916.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, Isaac N. EABY and PAUL M. EABY, citizens of the United States, residing at Lancaster, in the county of Lancaster and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tobacco-Binder-Leaf Cutters; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to tobacco leaf cut ting machines, and more particularly to machines for cutting leaves of tobacco into binders of the proper length for cigars.

The objects of the invention are to provide an improved tobacco binder leaf mat ter, or machine for cutting leaves of tobacco into proper lengths for binder use, in the manufacture of cigars, in an efficient and economical manner, so as to effect a saving of time, labor and material, and in the use of which the operator is not liable to cut his fingers or hands, as with machines of the construction heretofore used for this purpose; also to provide means for easily and quickly adjusting the machine to adapt it to cut binders of different lengths, together with a hand-operated combined tensioning and cutting device adapted not only for cutting binders of any desired length,

but for holding the leaf while it is beingcut; although if desired the machine may be used in connection with the usual suction device for holding the leaf in place during the cutting operation.

A further object is to provide a machine of the character referred to which shall be simple in construction, inexpensive in manufacture, and efficient in operation, and more convenient to operate than machines of this class as heretofore ordinarily constructed.

The invention will first be hereinafter more particularly described, with reference to the accompanying drawings, which are to be taken as a part of this specification, and then pointed out in the claims at the end of the description.

In said drawings, Figure 1 is a top plan view of a tobacco leaf cutting machine embodying our invention, showing in full lines I Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 14, 1916.

Serial No. 70,639.

the cutter carriage in position to effect a cutting operation, and showing the same in dotted lines just after it has been moved to the end of a cutting operation; Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional elevation showing the cutter carriage in full and dotted line positions the reverse of those shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional ele vation, taken on the line 33 of Fig. 2; Fig. 4. is a detail longitudinal section, taken on the line 4-4; of Fig. 1, showing one of the cutting blades in side elevation; Fig. 5 is a. side elevation of one of the pressurecutting rollers; and Fig. 6 is a section taken on the line 66 of Fig. 5, showing in elevation a broken away portion of the shaft on which the pressure-cutting rollers are revolubly mounted or jcurnaled.

Referring to said drawings, in which the same reference letters are used to denote corresponding parts in different views, the letter A may denote 'the bed plate of our improved binder cutter; said plate being formed by casting or otherwise and provided with parallel slots a at each side, and an intermediate imperforate portion a over or upon which the leaf to be cut is placed. However, said imperforate part may be provided with a series of perforations, if desired, to adapt the machine to be used with an ordinary suction device for holding the leaf down against the plate; though we preferably employ only the mechanical means shown or equivalent means for this purpose. The slots 64 extend longitudinally of the machine and are spaced the desired distance apart to receive cutting dies B fixed in said slots. The bed-plate has preferably cast integral therewith forwardly projecting arms C spaced apart and having opposed recesses to form a guide: way for the under wheels of a cutter car.- riage D; said guide-way extending to and in efiect forming a continuation of a similarly formed centrally disposed guide-way E formed in the bed-plate underneath the slots a. Underneath the bed-plate, at each side thereof, may be formed a supporting flange (1 and a series of strengthening ribs a between the slots at and extending down wardly therefrom, while at the front of the bed-plate or casting is a transverse supporting flange a having apertures therein to receive fastening bolts for the attachment of a cigar makers board F, or for attachment to the customary cigar makers board. Since the bed-plate A, when cast, is of rough material, we preferably secure thereto in any suitable manner, as by bolts or screws, flat strips or plates a preferably of smooth hard metal, which will present a smooth surface, though we may plane and nickel plate the bed-plate so that it in itself will furnish a working surface, such surface in either case being smooth and hard so as not to be easily injured nor apt to injure the operators hands.

The cutter blades B may be conveniently secured within the slots a, with provision for removal, by fitting the foremost ends thereof underneath a transverse rod G, secured in recesses a in the rear flange (1, of the bedplate A, or in any other suitable manner; the rear ends of said blades extending beyond the bed-plate proper and being held in place by a laterally swinging, preferably resilient and detachable locking dog H pivoted or secured to a boss a rising from the bed-plate; said blades projecting slightly above the table top and having cut-away portions at each end thereof fitting under said rod G, and dog H, as shown.

The cutter carriage D is mounted on the bed-plate A so as to be easily moved back and forth by means of a lever or handle 9 within convenient reach of the operator seated in front of the cigar makers board. This cutter carriage as shown consists essentially of a shaft cl secured 1n a rockmg frame or Y bracket D which is pivotally mounted upon the upper arm of a U-shaped resilient metal bar D the lower arm of which extends into the guide-way underneath the bed-plate and has journaled therein friction rollers or wheels (Z arranged to travel back and forth on the tracks provided therefor by the recesses in the opposed sides of the forwardly projecting arms C of the bed-plate forming a continuation of the centrally disposed guide-way E, together with means for adjusting the rocking frame D so as to vary the tension or pressure of the spring bar D on the pressure-cutting rollers or wheels (Z Said pressure varying means, in the form shown, consists of a set-screw (Z tapped through the rear end of the rocking bracket D and having a lock-nut (Z thereon for se curing it in a fixed position after adjustment, together with a coiled or other suitable spring interposed between the upper arm of the resilient bar D and the front end of the rocking frame D, so as to normally hold the set-screw (Z down upon said resilient bar and thereby exert sufiicient pressure on the rollers or wheels (Z to effect the desired cutting operation, when the cutter carriage is drawn forward or toward the board F into the position indicated by dotted lines in Fig.

1 of the drawings. The pivotal connection between the rocking frame D and the upper arm of the resilient lJ-shaped bar I)? is formed by means of a pivot-block d confined between the side arms of the rocking frame D and secured to said upper arm of the bar D by means of a set-screw (Z and having recesses or sockets in the ends thereof to receive bosses or trunnions (Z which project from the side bars of the rocking frame D into said sockets. The shaft (Z is provided with a series of spaced grooves d" on opposite sides of the rocking frame D to adapt the pressure-cutting rollers (Z to be adjusted and secured thereto at different distances apart. To this end we preferably pro vide a resilient keeper plate or yoke'shaped device I, having a key-hole shaped slot therein to fit over the shaft (l and slid-ably mounted on the projecting ends of studs or set-screws i carried by the roller (Z and entered through elongated slots in the locking plate; the broader end of said key-hole slot being slightly larger than the external diameter of the shaft (Z to adapt the keeper to be slid endwise to permit the pressure-cutting roller to be slid along said shaft, when the keyhole slot presents its broader end to the shaft, after which the keeper plate is slid or shifted to present its narrow end to the shaft and to engage one of the grooves- (Z in the shaft and lock the pressure-cutting roller in the desired position. To prevent sudden shocks or jars and render the machine noiseless in operation a rubber or other suitable bufi er K is fitted in the guide-way underneath the bed-plate at each end of the track.

In the operation of the machine, the cutting dies B being secured in the proper slots for the desired length of binder, and the pressurecutting rollers correspondingly adjusted to adapt them to roll upon said dies. and the rockingframe D adjusted to exert the proper tension on the pressure rollers, a leaf of tobacco is placed upon the bed-plate, and the cutter carriage is then drawn forward by means of the operating handle 9, which is grasped and pulled forward by the operator, and by virtue of the tension exerted on the rollers the tobacco leaf is cut of the desired length for a binder without using a knife-edge, and thus all danger of the operators hands being cut is obviated.

The advantages of our improvement are obvious. The machine will cut leaves of tobacco into proper lengths for binder use, and effect a saving of fromthirty to thirtyfive per cent. or more in the binder leaf and from five to ten per cent. in the filler leaf. The machine is quickly and easily adjusted for different lengths of cutting, and is adapted to be used for any and BXGI) branch of cigar making, and by every kind of cigar maker, either, a hand worker, a

removal of anything that is ordinarily used on or about the table.

It will be understood of course that various changes may be made in the details of construction and arrangement of parts with out departing from the spirit and scope of our invention, which in its broader aspects contemplates the use of a pair of knife-bladeshaped dies preferably having dull instead of sharp or knife edges, (which are liable to cut the fingers or hands of the operator) and a carriage movable in the plane of said dies and having pressure contact devices or rollers thereon arranged to travel bac and forth upon and in pressure contact with the edges of said dies, so as to effect the desired cutting operation without the use of a knife edge, together with means for varying the pressure of said rollers or other devices on said dies, and means for shifting the positions of said dies and rollers so as to bring them nearer together or arrange them farther apart for the purpose of cutting binders of different lengths, as desired. The bed-plate of the machine in effect forms a table, though preferably it has a cigar inakers board attached, and is provided with longitudinal slots in which the dies are removably secured; but the frame construction may be varied in form, and used either with or without a cigar makers board attached, and the word table as used in the appended claims is intended to include either form. Instead of a pair of rollers each adapted to rest and roll upon one of the dies. a. single roller operating on both dies might be used, and instead of a pair of dies and a pair of pressure-cutting rollers, a greater or less number might be employed, for instance, if it is desired to cut a tobacco binder leaf of a given length and another portion of less length, to be used as a filler or for other purposes, more than a pair of rollers and dies may be used, and our invention is not limited to the specific construction and arrangement of parts shown and described.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a tobacco binder leaf cutter, a table having a series of parallel slots formed therein and cutting dies detachably secured in said slots adapting them to be set at different distances apart, in combination with pressure extendingmeans movable in the line of said slots on said dies to efi'ect the desired cutting operation.

2. In a tobacco binder leaf cutter, a table having a series of parallel slots formed in the surface thereof, straight cutting dies de tachably secured in said slots adapting them to be set at different distances apart, and pressure exerting rollers mounted above said dies and movable in the line thereof back and forth thereon.

3. In a tobacco binder leaf cutter, a table having a series of parallel slots formed in the surface thereof, cutting dies detachably secured in said slots, a pair of rollers mounted above said dies and movable back and forth thereon, and means for varying the tension or pressure exerted by said rollers.

at. In a tobacco binder leaf cutter, a frame having a fiat top provided with a series of slots extending longitudinally thereof, straight cutting dies secured in said slots with their cutting edges extending slightly above the upper surface of said top, and pressure rollers movable back and forth on said dies in the line thereof.

In a tobacco binder leaf cutter, a flat top frame having at each side of its longitudinal center a series of parallel longitudinal slots, a pair of blade-like cutting dies each having a dull edge protruding through one of the slots of each of said series slightly above the surface of said top, a carriage mounted on said frame carrying a shaft on which are revolubly fitted a pair of rollers each arranged to travel forward and back on one of said dies; said rollers and dies being adjustable laterally to vary the distance therebetween, and means for adjusting the tension or pressure of said rollers on said dies.

6. A tobacco binder leaf cutter comprising a bed-plate having a table attached, a reciprocating carriage mounted on said bedplate carrying means for exerting a rolling pressure, a U-shaped spring having one end attached to said carriage and the other end projecting underneath the bed-=plate and carrying anti-friction devices movable in guide-ways under said bed-plate. and dies extending lengthwise of the bed-plate on which said rolling pressure is exerted.

'7. A tobacco binder leaf cutter comprising a bed-plate having a plurality of longitudinal slots therein at each side of its longitudinal center, a pair of blade-like cutting dies each detachably fitted in one of said slots and having dull edge protruding slightly above the surface of the bed-plate, a reciprocating carriage mounted on said bed-plate carrying a transverse shaft on which are journaled a pair of rollers, each arranged to travel upon one of said dies, means for adjusting said dies and rollers and fixing the same at different distances apart, and means for holding said rollers in yielding pressure contact With'said dies as the carriage is drawn or moved back and forth.

8. A tobacco binder leaf cutter comprising a bed-plate having a pair of blade-like dies extending longitudinally thereof, reciprocating carriage movable forward and back longitudinally of the machine frame and having a pair of rollers rcvolubly mounted thereon each adapted to press ligl'itly upon one of said dies, means for changing the positions of said rollers and dies so as to vary the distance between the same for cutting binders of different lengths, and means for varying the pressiu'e exerted by said rollers on said dies.

9. A tobacco binder leaf cutter comprising a'frame having a table, a carriage mounted on said frame having a U-shaped spring bar attached at one end to said carriage and at the other end to a truck frame arranged to travel in guide-ways below the surface of said frame; said carriage having a transverse shaft with pressure rollers mounted thereon, and cutterblades on said frame on which said pressure rollers travel,

10. A tobacco binder leaf cutter comprising a supporting frame and cutting mechanism mounted thereon consisting of a pluralityof independent dies having straight edges projecting above the surface of the frame and adjustably secured thereto to adapt them to be fixed at different distances apart, for cutting binders of different lengths, together with rolling pressure de vices movable back and forth in the line of said dies and pressing thereon.

11. A tobacco binder leaf cutter comprising a frame having a table, a reciprocating carriage mounted on said f 'ame carrying a pressure roller, and cutting mechanism consisting of spaced dies extending lengtl'iwise of said frame and including said pressure roller arranged to press on said dies, together with means for securing said. dies at different distances apart.

12. In a tobacco binder leaf cutter, a frame, a reciprocatory carriage on said frame lu'rving a rocking bracket thereon and carrying pressure-cutting rollers arranged to travel on dies extending longitudinally of the frame, together with means for var v ing the pressure exerted by said rollers, in-

cluding a spring tending to raise one end.

of said bracket and a set screw opposing sald spring and limiting the movement of the other end of said bracket.

13. A tobacco binder leaf cutter compristravel back and forth in the plane of said dies having means thereon arranged to roll in contact with the edges of said dies so as to effect the desired cutting operation, together with means for exerting and varying the pressure exerted on said rolling contact parts.

ll. In a tobacco binder leaf cutter, a reciprocatory carriage having a rocking bracket thereon carrying at one end a pair of rollers, means for exerting pressure on said rollers, means for varying said pressure, a pair of lmife-blade-like dies extending longitudinally of the machine frame with the edges of which said rollers con tact, and means for shifting the positions of said dies and said rollers to adapt the machine to cut binders of different lengths.

15. The combination in a tobacco binder leaf cutter, of adjustable parallel dies and a reciprocatory carriage having a transverse shaft provided with a plurality of grooves at each side of the center and a pair of rollers journaled on said shaft. together with means for adjusting said rollers sidewise along said shaft and securing them at different distances apart to accord with the spacing of the dies, said means consist ing of slidable locking plates secured to said rollers, each having a key-hole shaped slot therein fitted upon said shaft and adapted to be shift-ed along the same when the larger portion of said slot is in alinement with the shaft. and to engage one of said grooves and lock itself and the roller against endwise movement when the smaller part of said key-hole shaped slotis in alinement with the shaft.

in testimony whereof we aflix our signatures in the presence of two witnesses.

ISAAC N. EABY. PAUL M. EABY.

\Vitnesses L. B. Moss, CHAS. E. Lone.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

